The Defiants
by Chels17
Summary: Clexa sci-fi AU. How would you react if a random stranger came up and kissed you in the rain? When Clarke and Lexa's lives are thrown together they find themselves facing insurmountable odds to save their world and the lives of everyone they hold dear. But who can you trust in a dystopian society where not everything is as it seems?
1. When It Rains, It Pours

_Author's note: All I can say is that I'm very excited about this one, guys. I've put a lot of thought into it and hope you'll enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think so far! xoxo_

* * *

Clarke let her feet scuff along the sidewalk as she made her way home. This wasn't a route she usually took, but at least it was away from the main roads. She glanced up and saw an old shop sign hanging precariously off its hinges and stepped into the empty road to avoid the potential hazard. She shook her head at the state of the buildings here.

 _How had things gone so wrong so fast?_

It wasn't all that long ago that the biggest dilemma in Clarke's life was deciding whether she was going to study art or medicine. The things she used to consider a struggle were laughable now. This was the new world. The world people had voted for. And now they were facing the consequences.

A sound that had become foreign in the last year roared behind her, and Clarke turned to look just as the car went zooming past. She rolled her eyes. Asshole. He may have the whole street to himself, but he didn't have to drive like a maniac. The elite were the only ones operating cars these days, and Clarke certainly wasn't one of them.

A solitary drop of rain splashed against Clarke's neck and she shuddered at the cool sensation. She glanced up at the darkening sky, pulled up her hood, and stuffed her hands into her pants pockets, which she knew was pointless since she'd most likely be soaking wet by the time she got home.

A little further up the road was a small diner that looked to be the only occupied building on the street. Clarke instinctively quickened her pace at the thought of warmth, food, and company. But then she remembered where she was. And _when_ she was. A couple of years ago Clarke would have walked into that diner without a second thought. But she didn't know who was inside. She couldn't afford to assume strangers were trustworthy. Not anymore. She sighed as the rain started to fall harder and stayed her course, seeing the side street ahead that was her shortcut home.

Clarke had been walking with her head down for the last minute and didn't notice the person rushing up to her until it was too late to avoid the encounter, and it certainly wasn't one she was expecting. She looked up just in time to see a tall, slender girl approach, and all Clarke managed to think was, _Why in the world is she wearing a t-shirt in the rain?_

Clarke prided herself on her alert mind and cautious nature - that was likely the only reason she was still alive - but she was caught completely off guard by the unfamiliar girl who marched right up and grabbed the front of her jacket. She made eye contact for one moment, then dove in and kissed Clarke without reservation, pinning her against the building. For a split-second, Clarke kissed back out of reflex until her rational brain kicked in and she pulled her head back. With anyone else, Clarke would have pushed them off and whipped out her switchblade before they could get out a single word. But somehow she found herself just staring at the girl in front of her.

"Um, hi. Do I know you?"

The girl bit her lip and blushed. "No, sorry about that. I was just in that diner with a few friends and lost a bet, so they said I had to go out in the rain on this empty street and kiss the first person I saw. I was out here for five minutes before you arrived, so I guess I was a little enthusiastic about seeing you so I would be allowed back into warmth.

Clarke laughed at the ridiculous situation. "Seriously? The very first person?"

"Yes." The girl chuckled. "My one rule was they had to obviously be over 18. I didn't need anyone coming after me for harassing a minor. These are bad times to get locked up."

"Agreed. Good rule."

"I thought so too. I hope you didn't mind too much."

Their bodies were still pressed together. Clarke's breathing became heavy and her head was swimming, but she smirked to hide it. "I actually feel quite harassed, I'll have you know."

"Then you're free to write up a formal complaint." The girl winked. "I was just grateful you weren't an old man with dentures."

Clarke laughed and tried to study the woman whose face was still only mere inches away from hers. A few stray strands of dark brown stuck out from the gray snapback that concealed the rest of her hair. Little good it did her in this downpour.

The girl smiled and tilted her head. "Yes?"

"Sorry." Clarke chuckled nervously. "I just... God, you're beautiful."

She received a surprised grin in response. "Thanks. I'm Lexa, by the way."

"Clarke."

The brunette arched an eyebrow. "Single?"

"Just recently."

"Perfect."

Clarke gasped as Lexa grabbed the front of her jacket again and whipped her around the corner of the building so they were now standing in a dim alleyway. They stood there staring at each other for a brief second that felt like eternity, and in the darkness all Clarke could see was the whites of her eyes. Clarke took a deep breath and gave in to the spontaneity of the moment. She placed a hand behind Lexa's head and drew her in to press their lips together again. She could feel her smile.

"You're an amazing kisser," Lexa praised between heavy breaths.

"You're not so bad yourself." Clarke tugged softly at Lexa's bottom lip, drawing a moan from her. Clarke wasn't even thinking anymore, her body running purely on autopilot as she let her hands slide to the brunette's hips and trailed light kisses along her jawline and down her neck.

Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke's neck and let her head drop back. "Oh god, I should not be this turned on right now."

"Shouldn't you?" Clarke chuckled as she brought her lips back up to meet the other woman's. "You say that like you don't regularly start making out with random strangers on the street."

"I don't!" Lexa squealed when Clarke playfully pinched her side.

"And you're incredibly ticklish?" Clarke laughed. "This just keeps getting better."

In one swift motion Lexa grabbed Clarke's hands and pinned them to the wall above her head and smirked. "No."

Clarke laughed as she struggled to free her hands. "You're no fun."

Lexa tilted her head. "Aren't I?" She went in for Clarke's mouth again, grazing her tongue across the blonde's lips. Clarke moaned as their tongues met and all traces of rational thinking were gone. It had been a long time since Clarke had allowed herself to completely melt into another person like this.

Several minutes passed before Clarke spoke again. "God, I'm so wet."

"Well, we are standing in the middle of a rainstorm, Clarke." Lexa chuckled between kisses. "We're both soaked."

Clarke paused to look into the green eyes in front of her. "No." She pulled one of Lexa's hands down and pressed it between her legs. "I mean here."

"Oh." Lexa's eyes widened. She brought her other hand down and let her thumbs trail along Clarke's waistline and smiled. "Then I'd still say we're both soaked."

Clarke smirked and her breath hitched as Lexa reached for her pants button.

"Put your hands up!" a gravelly voice called from the street.

"Shit," the girls muttered in unison as Lexa jumped back.

"Don't even try running, Woods! I know that's you, and my men are blocking the other end of the alleyway."

Lexa slowly turned around and scowled as a beam of light flashed in her face. "Roan," she growled.

"Cuff her, Echo," he called to another officer. Roan snickered. "And who's your little friend here? I'm Officer Azgeda, ma'am..." He moved the flashlight to Clarke and gaped. "Well, I'll be damned. Look who just helped me catch my number one fugitive!"

Lexa gasped and stared at Clarke in disgust. "You were a _plant_?"

"Hell no!" Clarke spat back.

"Hello no is right," Roan chuckled as he shoved Clarke face first against the building and pulled out a set of handcuffs. "Griffin here is my number _two_ fugitive! And don't be jealous, Clarke. Really the only thing that makes your lady friend here my number one is that I've been chasin' her down longer than you."

When Roan spun her back around, Clarke and Lexa locked eyes and stared at each other in shock.

"Ooh boy, I never dreamt I'd catch the two of you like this! I had no idea you even knew each other, so I'll give you props for keepin' that under wraps."

"You know I don't lie to you, Azgeda..."

"I know you don't, Woods, which is why we have such a healthy respect for each other."

"...so you'll be just as surprised as we are when I tell you we literally just met."

Roan's head fell back in unrestrained laughter. "That's a good one, Woods! With the way you were practically eating each other? Now, you may be mostly honest with me, but I also know you've got jokes, and that's a good one."

"No, sir, it's actually true." A lanky young man in soaked jeans and a sweatshirt stepped up. Lexa glared when she recognized him as the guy who was sitting at the table next to hers in the diner. "Woods lost some bet with the people she was with, so they told her to go out in the rain and kiss the first person she saw. Griffin happened to be that person."

Roan's laughter roared even louder. "And I thought you'd already learned your gamblin' lesson, Woods." He and Officer Echo walked the girls out to the rain-slick street. "You're bein' uncharacteristically quiet tonight, Griffin."

"Yeah, well, me talking hasn't ever helped any situation with you, Azgeda. Why start now?"

Roan chuckled. "That one's got jokes and this one's got sass. Some things just never change. You actually do make a good pair."

Lexa caught Clarke's eye and they exchanged a look of frustration and amusement.

"Am I taking Woods in my car, sir?" Echo asked.

"No, no, no. I'm not lettin' either of them out of my sight. I'll take 'em both."

Lexa looked to Clarke and shrugged when they were both pushed up against the squad car. "At least we're together." She smirked. "So, what did you do to end up on Azgeda's hit list?"

Clarke opened her mouth to answer, but Roan cut her off. "Yeah, you know what? I don't really feel like listenin' to Bonnie and Clyde on the way, so let's just gag 'em." He and Echo made quick work of silencing the girls and shoved them into the backseat.

Despite the levity they had all shared in the unlikely coincidence of their situation, Clarke was terrified. She had barely escaped with her life the last time she was in this situation. Lexa seemed to sense her change in mood and bumped their shoulders together as the police cruiser roared to life. Lexa smiled as best she could despite the gag.

Clarke furrowed her brow and stared at her thinking, _what the hell could you be smiling about?_

Lexa simply gave her a wink and faced forward again, mysteriously content.

Clarke sighed, sunk back into her seat, and looked out the window. Just as her mind started to run through every worst-case scenario for this situation, she felt a touch to her leg. She turned to see Lexa's lopsided grin as she brushed their legs together. Clarke couldn't help her own partial smile, grateful that her new friend and fellow criminal was trying to distract her from her hopelessness. Clarke placed her head on Lexa's shoulder and nestled into her damp neck, grateful for the warmth and comfort she wordlessly exuded.

"Hey, no canoodlin' back there!" Roan shook his head. "Damn, you Defiants are a strange bunch - the whole lot of ya!"

The girls snickered quietly. They might be headed toward imprisonment or worse, but at least they could share this brief reprieve together. They both closed their eyes and tried not to imagine what the future held in store for them.

The last thing they heard before blacking out was Roan's outburst of profanities and the sickening crunch of metal as they were broadsided by a black SUV.


	2. The Sign

_Author's note: Hey, guys! Just so you know, I imagine it will be about 1-2 weeks between each update. This fic is taking longer than usual to make all the pieces fit, and it's a bit of a mind-bender for me like my Lexark fic was, but I think that's my favorite kind of story and I'm loving the process. Plus, sometimes real life gets in the way. Lame. But who knows, the story might come faster now that I have the beginning more established. I have a lot of notes outlining the upcoming chapters and I'm excited to eventually reveal it all. Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!_

* * *

 _*One year ago*_

Clarke bit her lip as she hovered over the two informational packets in front of her - one for medicine and one for the arts, both of which described the training and expectations of someone employed in that field. As a doctor she would be able to save lives and participate in research that would revamp society's medical knowledge and practices. If she pursued the arts, not only would Clarke be able to use her talent to beautify the city, she would also be tasked with studying and preserving what little remained of the civilization before the Cataclysm a mere 130 years before - the nuclear war that had wiped out most of the world's population. And the fact that the remains of an old library had been discovered just a few months ago sent chills through her body. Who knew what wealth of information it might contain?

Clarke jumped when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. "Hey, Mom." She chuckled. "You really scared me there-" Clarke paused when she saw her mother's expression. "Are you okay? What is it?"

Abby pursed her lips. "It's the election. Pike won."

Clarke felt her entire body stiffen. "What? How did people let this happen?" She ran a tense hand through her hair. "I don't understand why you couldn't have stayed in office, Mom. And people being able to throw his name on the ballot at the last minute is ridiculous."

"That's democracy, Clarke."

"Well, democracy is flawed."

"So is every form of government. It's _people_ who are flawed, so imperfections in the system are inevitable."

"If I recall, we got along just fine when you were running things."

Abby sighed. "Times are different now, Clarke. You know that. We're at the brink of war, and our people apparently think Charles Pike is the man to help us through that."

"At the brink?" Clarke scoffed. "With him now in charge we've already crossed that line and _you_ know that. He's going to attack the Grounders and there is _nothing_ wrong with them! They're good people, Mom. Their only fault is that they have a few corrupt leaders, and we're no different. It's his hot head and mindless followers that are going to get us into trouble."

A voice called out Abby's name from the walkie-talkie on her belt.

"Yes, Marcus?" she responded.

"This is urgent."

Abby looked to her daughter. "I'm sorry. Give me just a minute."

Clarke shrugged. "It's fine." Once her mom left she turned her attention back to the packets that no longer held much allure for her. A sickening feeling churned in Clarke's stomach as she wondered what this change meant for her future. Within a minute Abby was back in the room.

"Mom?"

"Oh, Clarke. I'm so, so sorry."

Clarke furrowed her brow sat up straight in her bed. "What is it?"

Abby dropped down next to her daughter and placed a hand on her knee. "There isn't much time to explain, but I need to take you to a safe zone. Away from here. Underground."

"Safe zone? What are you talking about?"

"Riots are starting, Clarke. Just a few miles from here and they're getting closer. People are getting very violent."

" _Riots?_ Because of the election?"

"I wish there was time to tell you more. You'll understand soon. Please forgive me."

"Mom, what are you talking about-" Clarke didn't have time to process what was happening before her mother stuck a tranquilizer into her thigh, immobilizing her in seconds. Her mother's voice drifted away as Clarke slipped into unconsciousness.

" _Stick with the others. You'll survive together... Your father and I love you very much... Remember your training."_

* * *

 _*Present day*_

Clarke groaned at the throbbing pain in her head and slowly opened her eyes. The front passenger side door of the police cruiser was completely crushed by the black SUV that was still embedded in it, and rain was pouring into the vehicle. She glanced to her right and saw an unconscious girl with a gash in her head.

"Shit," Clarke muttered as her memory returned. "Lexa? _Lexa?_ " Clarke ripped off part of her sleeve and pressed the soaked fabric against the girl's bleeding head wound. She looked to the driver's seat and saw Roan's body slumped over the steering wheel. She couldn't tell if he was still breathing or not, but he certainly was not her priority. "Lexa, c'mon." Clarke gently patted her cheek. "You've gotta wake up. We can't stay here."

Clarke turned around at the sound of her car door being opened and yelped as she was yanked out. "Who are you? Get your hands off me!"

"Relax, Clarke," the woman replied. "We're here to help you. We have to get out of here before his backup arrives." She tilted her head in Roan's direction. "We already took care of his partner, but more will come." She turned to a tall, burly man who was covered in tattoos. "Get Lexa from the other side, Gustus. She's unconscious, but she'll be fine."

Clarke watched as Lexa was carefully extricated from the car by the imposing figure called Gustus. "Oh, so she gets the special treatment?"

The woman smirked. "That's because she _is_ special. Now follow me. We have to-"

"Hell no. I'm not just following you anywhere." Clarke looked around at the motley group assembled behind the woman who pulled her out. Besides her and Gustus, there were two teenagers - a boy and a girl - and one other man who looked to be in his thirties. They all had backpacks and holstered guns.

"We have to go _now_ , Clarke." the woman insisted.

"Were you all in that SUV that crashed into the cruiser? You could have killed us! And how exactly do you know my name?"

The woman let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, that was us, but you were not in mortal peril. We _saved_ you, and we're taking you to the Grounder Defiants' base. You can trust us."

Clarke snorted. "Sure doesn't seem like it with the death grip you've got on my arm."

"Fine, we'll leave her," the woman called to her group. "She's more trouble than she's worth."

"No, Indra." Lexa's voice was faint as she lay in the arms of the large man who had pulled her out of the car. "She has to come with us. We need her."

Clarke ran up to Lexa's side and swept the damp hair away from her face. "Hey, how are you feeling? Any dizziness or nausea?"

"A little bit, yeah, and I'm pretty sure my ankle is sprained."

"Are you a doctor?" Indra asked.

Clarke's only reply was to hold up her right wrist with the blue medical bracelet, affirming the assumption. The thin white stripes indicated she was still in training.

Gustus made a quick visual scan of Lexa's injuries. "She's fine for now, so I must insist we get back to the base before-"

His words were cut short by a loud whirring sound that pierced Clarke with a fear she hadn't felt in a long time. She looked up to see eight mechanical creatures launch off several tall buildings surrounding them. The robots in this batch each had four legs that resembled a spider's limbs, which tapered to a deadly point that crushed the asphalt beneath them on impact.

"Reapers!" called out the teenage boy.

Clarke's hand shot to her neck, grasping for the thin chain she knew had been there before the crash but now was gone. She turned to Indra. "Where's my necklace?" she demanded. "Did you take it?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" the stern woman responded as she watched the robotic bounty hunters slowly closing in on their prey that had nowhere to run. "How can you possibly care about that right now?"

"Because it can help us!" Clarke groaned in frustration, knowing how ridiculous she sounded, and searched around frantically for what she had lost. The pouring rain and darkening sky certainly didn't improve the situation. She dove back into the police cruiser, praying it would be there.

"Do not shoot, Artigas!" Gustus bellowed.

"I'm never going back there!" the teenager shouted in response as he pointed his gun to the robot nearest him, aiming for the pulsing red light located on the front of the large metal body that functioned as the Reaper's eye. Striking it just right was the only way anyone had been able to destroy one, but it was extremely difficult to pull off and guaranteed making them hostile, when otherwise they were only there to collect the bounty they were programmed to find and return to their headquarters. But if you were taken, there was no guarantee you would ever come back.

Clarke's head snapped up when she heard the gunshot. Through the car's rear window she watched the misplaced bullet ricochet off the sleek silver body, and the Reaper immediately lunged forward and thrust one of its metallic, razor-sharp legs through the boy's abdomen. The leg was quickly retracted and the boy's form slumped to the ground. The teenage girl screamed out in horror and Indra grabbed her by the arm to keep her from rushing to the lifeless body.

Clarke's fingers closed around the broken chain that had slipped under the driver's seat. At the end of it was a thin cylindrical device about three inches long with a button on its base. Clarke leapt out of the car just as the now-enraged Reapers rushed toward their targets. She held up the device, pressed the button, and watched in awe as all eight Reapers were rendered powerless and fell to the ground.

"Holy shit," she mumbled. "It worked."

The momentum of one Reaper sent it barreling toward the police cruiser and Clarke dove out of the way just before she was hit. She quickly jumped back to her feet and was met with the dumbfounded stares of the Grounders.

Lexa's eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of her head. "Clarke, how did you-"

"Run!" the blonde cried out. The warning tone in her voice was enough to spur them all into action and they dashed toward their destination. "The device emits a strong EMP that interferes with the Reaper's transmitters," Clarke explained as they ran, "but that only bought us thirty seconds until their system reboots, and it takes three minutes for the device to fully recharge."

"We only need ten seconds," Indra replied as they turned a corner. "Make for the brick building just there. An entrance to our underground base is inside."

Clarke mentally chastised herself for not taking her friend Raven seriously when she said they should all be doing more physical training for situations just like this. She wasn't looking forward to the smug look on her friend's face when she admitted she was right. A knot formed in Clarke's stomach as she wondered if she would actually ever get to have that conversation now.

Clarke ran directly behind Gustus and Lexa, and something dark on the girl's skin caught her eye that she hadn't noticed before. It was a tattoo on the back of her neck, and Clarke gasped when she recognized the symbol.

They reached the building and Indra motioned for Clarke to follow as she opened the concealed entrance of what looked to be a long, dark tunnel. Indra and the man bringing up the rear flicked on their flashlights, and in the distance they heard the Reapers roar back to life as they descended into the abyss.

* * *

 _*One week ago*_

Clarke bolted upright with sweat beading down her forehead, eyes darting around as she tried to grab hold of reality.

"Clarke." Octavia shook the blonde's shoulders again. "Clarke, wake up. It was just a dream."

"Octavia?" She willed her heart rate to slow down and her breathing steadied.

"Yeah, I'm here. You okay? What were you dreaming about?"

Clarke let her head fall into her hands, desperate to engrave every moment of what she had seen into her memory. She glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot. "It wasn't a dream, Octavia. It was a vision. I actually had a _vision._ "

Octavia's eyes widened. "Seriously? You're sure it was the real deal?"

"I'm positive. It just feels right."

"No way. So you know who your successor is? The person you have to train?"

Clarke shook her head. "No, O. It was the other kind of vision. I saw one of them. A _Nightblood_. They still exist, and I have to find whoever it is."

Octavia let out a low whistle. "Damn, then the world really has gone to shit if the legends are true about when a new one emerges."

"Yeah, I guess so." Clarke let out a heavy sigh. "Now I have to find whoever it is and figure out what we're supposed to do."

Octavia still looked dumbfounded. "I can't believe this is actually happening. There hasn't been a Nightblood since before the Cataclysm, and that was more than a _century_ ago."

"I know. Just pray things play out differently this time around, or at least that the stakes aren't as high. I don't know that humanity would survive another event like that."

Octavia nodded and looked her friend straight in the eye. "So where are we going and when do we leave?"

Clarke placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're the best friend I could ask for, O, but this is something I have to do alone. I have an idea of where to look, but any impressions and visions will be stronger if I'm on my own."

"You have to be kidding me. You can't go back up to the ground _alone_. Not after what happened the last time. They'll lock you up for good or _worse_ , Clarke. You know Roan's out there hunting for you right now."

"There's no better option and you aren't going to talk me out of this, Octavia. This is the best way I can help us. And this vision should actually give us hope, you know? Sure, our world has become a living hell, but this means there's a way out, right? The universe or fate or whatever hasn't given up on us yet."

Octavia sighed. "You're right - and optimistic - as usual. Just don't go screw this up, okay, Griffin?"

Clarke laughed and punched her friend in the arm. "Thanks for the pep talk. Now help me sneak out through the cave's west exit without your brother noticing. Then all I know is that I have to cross the fence. In my vision I saw myself on the other side."

"So you're saying the next Nightblood is a Grounder?"

Clarke shrugged. "Most likely. I don't know why else I'd have to go there."

"Well, let's snag you a few extra food packets just to be safe. Try not to be gone too long, all right? Last thing I need is to save your sorry ass again."

Clarke smirked. "I'll do everything I can to avoid being the damsel in distress. Promise."

"You better. So what's the sign to find the Nightblood?"

Clarke closed her eyes, recalling the image as clearly as she could. "It's a sideways figure eight. The infinity symbol."


	3. Diplomacy

_*One year ago*_

Clarke had been pacing for nearly twenty minutes when Bellamy burst through one of the underground cave's entrances. He was covered in sweat, dirt, blood, and who knew what else. Clarke noticed tear streaks in the muck on his face.

"Bell!" Octavia ran from Clarke's side and threw her arms around her brother.

He dropped his gun and returned the embrace, then pulled back to look his sister in the eye. "Mom's gone, O. She's gone."

Octavia's eyes widened in horror. "No, there must be something we can do." She looked to Clarke. "Your mom can help her."

Bellamy tightened his grip on his sister as she tried to break away and return to the surface.

"Let go of me, Bell!"

"You can't go up there. There's nothing we can do."

Despair and fury flashed across the younger Blake's face. "We can't just leave her, Bellamy."

"There's nothing left, O. A grenade hit the house. Mom's gone. Everything's gone."

Octavia crumpled to the ground as the weight of her brother's words finally sunk in. She shook her head, wishing this was all just a bad dream. "We have no one left," she whispered.

Bellamy dropped down next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, we still have each other. You've got me, Octavia, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Clarke kneeled down on Octavia's other side. "You've got me too." She looked up as a small group came rushing toward Bellamy, anxious to hear news of the ground, and added, "We all have each other."

"Your parents were fine, last I saw," Bellamy said to Clarke. His face fell as he turned toward the people approaching them. "I wish I could say the same to all of them."

Clarke stood up and backed away to give the Blakes some space. She watched from a distance as the crowd enveloped Bellamy, few faces showing relief while others broke down in tears. She felt bad that Bellamy had to be the bearer of bad news for so many, but as the only one of them who could blend in on the surface as a militia man, he was the one best suited for the job.

It was still hard for Clarke to look him in the eye since he had been one of the ones responsible for getting Pike's name on the ballot in the first place. When the riots started he finally realized the mistake he had made, but it was too late to do anything about the election. Everything he did now was an attempt at penance. Remembering this made Clarke feel less sorry for him. He deserved it. She felt bad for thinking that way, especially knowing Aurora Blake was now dead, but he could have helped avoid this mess but instead let himself get swept up in the ideology of a xenophobic zealot.

The real trouble came a week later when Pike finally quelled the riots and put into motion the act he promised that won him the election: attack the Grounders. Long before the fence was raised that separated the two factions of Cataclysm survivors, Clarke had frequently crossed over to the other side and interacted with the people there. Nearly all Arkadians were wary of Grounders, and most Grounders felt the same. But Clarke was different - more open-minded and curious.

After the Cataclysm destroyed most of the world's population and left very little habitable land, the ancestors of the current Arkadians lived like nomads for two decades, drifting from place to place as the resources in each area were depleted, until they finally stumbled across the Grounders, who had clean water sources, livestock, and functional farms. Both groups were grateful to find more survivors, but were also a bit hesitant, unsure of how the other group would affect their way of life. A truce was formed and resources were shared. The two groups kept mostly to themselves, each with their own government and culture, and that was much the case for the next century. A few people made attempts over the years to combine the two groups, but they were met mostly with opposition from those who wanted things to stay as they were. They weren't enemies or allies - they merely coexisted.

That all changed about three months earlier when the Grounder population had greatly surpassed the Arkadians'. Their leader, Queen Nia Azgeda, starting moving some of their people onto land that was uninhabited but was located on the Arkadians' side. There was a surprising divide in the Arkadians' reactions to her move. About half the people were furious and indignant - what right did the Grounders have to move across a boundary that had been established more than a century ago? The other half felt the Grounders should be allowed to have that land since it was obvious they were in need of more space when the Arkadians weren't.

The most vocal arguments against the Grounders came from Charles Pike, a schoolteacher who before then had had little political involvement, but now was enraged. He pointed out that the Arkadians had regulated their population over the years to preserve their resources, so why did the Grounders get to take those resources just because they had failed to take the same precautions? Abby Griffin, who was the Chancellor at the time, tried to maintain a more cordial view on the situation. The Grounders had a larger population, and this was land the Arkadians weren't even using - land which was allotted to them by Grounders in the first place. The matter wasn't helped at all when Nia went ahead and moved her people onto the land before a resolution was reached. Neither Pike nor Abby agreed with that play, but Pike felt it was a waste of time to just discuss the matter. They needed to act - to fight for the land that was theirs. If they buckled now, what would stop the Grounders from taking more and more as time went on? They needed to take a stance and make their voices heard. Pike received overwhelming support from the people who were afraid of losing their way of life. His name was placed on the ballot for the upcoming election, and Pike won with nearly three-quarters of the vote. That was when the riots started.

Those who voted against Pike knew he would make an irreversible attack on the Grounders. Many Arkadians died in the attempt to thwart his battle plans, but as soon as Pike's supporters suppressed the opposition, he took his militia to the group Nia had placed on their side and drove them out by force, killing many of them in the process. He erected a fence to ensure there was no question about what land belonged to which group and promised further retribution against Nia and all Grounders. That was the beginning of the war.

* * *

 _*Present day*_

Clarke stared around the Grounder Defiants' vast underground network as they emerged from the tunnel. Torches in primitive sconces lined the stone walls and the buzz of a thriving community pervaded the air. This room appeared to be a central area with various subterranean hallways branching off. Dozens of people moved through the halls, and a group of kids nearly ran into Clarke as they chased each other. The rescue squad dispersed and Clarke followed Gustus with Lexa to a room lined with makeshift beds. It was empty, but appeared to be an infirmary.

Gustus laid Lexa down gently. "Rest now. I will check on you later. And I will tell Artigas's family what happened with the Reapers."

Lexa nodded. "Thank you, Gustus."

Clarke watched Lexa, stunned that she was looking at her Nightblood. It had to be her. That tattoo on her neck was the exact sign Clarke had seen in her vision. Now she just had to tell her, but the hard part would be convincing her it was true. Most people had heard of the Nightbloods, but few believed they had ever actually existed. Their emergence in history was so seemingly sporadic, and the part they played was often said to be nothing more than legend - a source to attribute some of the more influential failures and successes throughout time. Just as ancient civilizations worshipped gods and credited them for everything from rain to victory in war.

A girl a few inches taller than Clarke marched into the room, eyes widening in surprise when she saw the blonde. "So it's true. You actually got her. I'm impressed." Clarke wanted to ask what exactly she meant by that, but the girl's focus shifted to Lexa. "And what the hell happened to you, dipshit?"

Lexa rolled her eyes as a smile tugged at her lips. "Good to see you too, asshole."

The asshole turned back to Clarke. "Did you do this to her?"

Clarke's eyes narrowed at the accusation, and Lexa cut in. "Calm down, Anya. She didn't do anything to me." Lexa shot Clarke a teasing look that suggested otherwise, and Clarke felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she remembered their kiss.

Anya missed the brief exchange as she knelt down to inspect Lexa's ankle. "It's swelling. You definitely strained something."

"If you have bandages, I can wrap it," Clarke offered. "The compression will help it heal quicker."

Anya's eyes snapped up to meet Clarke's. "And what makes you think I'll let you touch her? We have our own healer, thank you very much."

"Anya, you don't have to be such an ass," Lexa said.

"But then you'd have to come up with another name for me." She smirked and left to find their healer.

Lexa sighed and looked up at Clarke. "Please don't listen to a word she says."

"She seems pretty protective of you. And distrusting of me."

"She helped take care of me after my parents died when I was just a kid. Anya doesn't know how to _not_ be protective of me."

Clarke lowered herself down to sit next to Lexa's bed. "I'm sorry about your parents."

She shrugged. "Don't be. That was a long time ago."

"I lost my dad earlier this year." Clarke looked down at the watch on her wrist that had been his. "In the riots."

Lexa nodded in understanding. "And some days it feels like it was only yesterday that your whole world was turned upside down."

"Yeah. Funny how that works." A pause rested between them for a moment until Clarke spoke again. "Hey, what did Anya mean when she said she was impressed that you got me?"

Lexa looked down, which only raised Clarke's suspicions. "Lexa? What did she mean?" The blonde's tone became more accusatory with the lack of response. "What the hell is going on? Did you actually set out to bring me here?"

"Keep your voice down." Lexa sighed. "Yes, okay? I was hoping to tell you a bit differently than this, but yes, we did want you to come meet with us."

"Well, isn't that diplomatic of you."

"Clarke, let me explain-"

"You never lost any bet, did you?"

"What?"

"Your bet, Lexa. The bet you lost that led you out in the rain to kiss me. That wasn't just chance, was it?"

Lexa lifted a hand to rub her temple. "I swear it's not as bad as it sounds."

"Just answer the damn question."

"Fine. It wasn't chance. And no, there never was a bet."

Clarke threw her hands up in disgust. "So I have no reason to believe a single word that has come out of any of you Grounders." She scoffed. "And to think I used to defend your kind to my people."

"My _kind_? You say that like we're a different species."

"Why'd you do it? What am I to your people?"

Lexa's brow furrowed and she rested a hand on the blonde's. "Clarke, I-"

"Don't touch me." She scooted back so she was just out of Lexa's reach. "Tell me why."

Lexa opened her mouth to answer but closed it as Anya returned with the healer.

"Everything okay here, you two?" Anya asked, her eyes boring into Clarke.

"We're fine, Anya," Lexa replied.

"Um, no, actually," Clarke said, glaring at them both. "I want to know why you brought me here."

Anya snorted. "From what I've heard, bringing you here saved your sorry little ass."

Clarke stood to look her in the eye. "And from what I've heard, you were already planning to bring me here, so you all are the reason my ass was on the line in the first place."

"Enough, you two!" Lexa groaned as the healer adjusted the position of her foot. "You're squabbling like children. Anya, why don't you show Clarke around until Nyko's done here, and then I can-"

"Hell no," Clarke and Anya both said in unison, then looked at the other warily.

Lexa rolled her eyes. "At least you can agree on something."

Clarke turned to Lexa. "I'm staying right here until you give me some damn answers."

Anya chuckled. "Looks like you managed to find someone as stubborn as you, dipshit."

Nyko cleared his throat and Lexa turned her attention back to him. "Your ankle is wrapped and stable now, but it will take a few days to heal. It sounds like you all have some things to work out," he added with a smirk, "so I'll come back and check on you later."

"Thank you, Nyko," Lexa replied as he left. She looked to Anya. "Do you mind leaving us alone for a bit?"

Anya arched an eyebrow and folded her arms. "You sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Anya gave Clarke one last disapproving look up and down. "Fine. I'll be back in an hour to make sure you haven't killed each other."

"Thanks, asshole. Really appreciate the concern."

Anya winked. "Anytime, dipshit."

Clarke waited to speak until Anya had disappeared. "Well, don't you two have a lovely friendship."

Lexa laughed in spite of the tension in the room. "Yeah, something like that."

Clarke sat down again, crossed her legs, and looked at Lexa. "Now, explain. Why did you want to bring me here?"


	4. The Next Nightblood

_*Nine months ago*_

"Clarke, I need to talk to you." Bellamy took her by the elbow and steered her where they could talk in private.

Clarke's brow furrowed in concern. "What is it, Bellamy? What's happening up there?"

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath. "It's over. Nia completely overtook our forces and has claimed control over all of us, Grounders and Arkadians."

"What?" Clarke felt her pulse skyrocket. "Just a few days ago you said Pike was closing in and it was only a matter of time before she surrendered."

"Yeah, well that was before she released these robots that completely destroyed any opposition."

"Robots? Are you serious?"

"They were terrifying, Clarke, and there are different versions. Some fly and launch grenades. Others are twenty feet tall with legs like spears that will skewer you before you can blink. And there are small ones that can camouflage themselves like chameleons that release knockout gas. We can't fight them and don't know if there's any way to disable them. We were like sitting ducks out there and they annihilated us. The war's over and Nia's in charge."

"Shit," Clarke muttered. "So what the hell is going to happen now?"

"I think we should get everyone above ground. Nia's going to conduct a census in the next couple of days to take stock of all the people who are now under her reign."

Clarke nodded. "And you think we're better off above ground than below?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, I have no idea what our lives are going to be like now that Nia's in charge, but if we stay here now we may never be able to live a normal life up there again."

Clarke scoffed. "Whatever _normal_ is."

"It will be an adjustment for sure, but anything up there has got to be better than living like rats down here."

"You're probably right." Clarke sighed as she looked around the caves they had made their home for the past three months. They were the remains of some intricate bunker that had been built long before they arrived. Her friends Jasper and Monty had actually been the ones to discover the subterranean network just a couple years ago, and few adult Arkadians knew of its existence. Abby Griffin, as the former Chancellor, had been one of those adults, and she was the one who sent the kids down into the tunnels when the riots started. The adults could settle their disputes above ground, but she wanted to ensure their kids - the future of their society - came out of this alive. Abby had to drug Clarke to get her down here, knowing her daughter would refuse to leave the conflict and would try to take a stand. Clarke was grateful now for what her mother had done because she most likely would have been right by her father's side, and he was now dead.

Clarke looked to Bellamy. "And I suppose you want me to be the one to break the news to everyone else?"

"You know they all look to you as a leader, Clarke. They'll trust you."

"That's just what I'm afraid of, Bellamy. What if going up isn't the right choice?"

He shrugged. "Then we'll come back down. None of this will be easy, but I think it will help if we start this new life on the surface and learn more about Nia and these robots and whatever else she has up her sleeve. Just because one regime was upended doesn't mean it can't happen again soon."

Clarke nodded. "Then we'll watch and wait. Bide our time until we figure out next move."

* * *

 _*Present day*_

Lexa pushed herself into a sitting position and winced at the pain in her ankle. "I'll tell you why you're here, but then I'm going to want some answers from you."

Clarke shrugged. "Fair enough."

Lexa took a deep breath. "We set out to bring you back to our base because we want your help, Clarke. Nia has to be taken out of power, and we think we can make that happen with the help of the Arkadian Defiants. Your people."

"You want me to get my people to fight for your cause?"

"It's not just my cause, Clarke. It should be both of ours. Nia has taken over and oppressed our people equally."

Clarke snorted. "I don't know that I can agree with the _equality_ of her oppression, seeing how it's my people she's massacred, but I get your point."

"Your people are the ones who were massacred because they were the ones who fought against her. My people want to join that fight now."

"Took you long enough. We could have used your help nine months ago when she unleashed the Reapers and obliterated us."

Lexa sighed. "We had no idea the existed Reapers back then, but you've seen for yourself that they don't care what side you're on. We lost one of our own out there today, Clarke. Artigas was too young to die."

"Everyone who dies in war dies too young."

"Yes, I agree, of course, but my point is that we have a common enemy and it's not each other."

"And what makes you think I can convince my people to fight with you?"

"You're the leader of your band of Defiants."

Clarke shook her head. "Hardly. You think I'm the leader just because I'm the one Roan arrested and nearly had killed a few months ago?"

Lexa shrugged. "Like it or not, that effectively made you the face of the Arkadian resistance as far as Grounders are concerned. And personally, I do think you're the heart of your group."

Clarke tilted her head as she studied the girl in front of her. "So you're the face of your group as well? Since you're fugitive number one, and all. Your people treat you differently than the others. They see you as their leader, don't they? How did you manage that?"

Lexa's brow furrowed. "I think I agree with that as much as you do about claiming the title of leader for yourself. There are far more people down here fighting for freedom than me alone. I'm just the one the Enforcers imagine to be the head of it."

"After your own run-in with the law?"

"Yes."

Clarke grunted. "So we're the scapegoats."

"Basically." Lexa took a deep breath. "Now can I ask you a question?" The blonde nodded and she continued. "Why were you on our side of the fence today? I mean, it certainly made it a lot easier for me to find you, but what possessed you to come out of hiding and risk being found by Roan again? And why were you by yourself?"

Clarke's gaze dropped to the ground. She had imagined how this conversation with her Nightblood might go if she ever found him or her, but now she had no idea how to start. Her training had never included this part of the process, and that was probably because it hadn't been done for more than a hundred years.

"Well?" Lexa asked. "Were you looking for something? Or did you just have a death wish?"

"More like some _one_."

"You were looking for a person? A Grounder? Who?"

Clarke groaned as she tried to find the right words. "Look, this is going to sound pretty unbelievable, but you've just got to stay with me here, okay?"

Lexa looked skeptical but nodded her head.

Clarke took a deep breath. "Turns out I was looking for you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

Lexa's head dropped back as she laughed, and Clarke wondered if the painkillers were starting to affect the other girl's mind.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Sorry," Lexa said as she tried to regain her composure. "It's just... What are the odds that we both set out trying to find each other? We had never even met before."

Clarke smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is quite the coincidence."

"So why exactly were you looking for me? You obviously weren't trying to unite our people as well, or you would have agreed right away with my proposition."

Clarke paused, weighing her options carefully. "Let me ask you a question first. Where did you get that tattoo on the back of your neck? The infinity symbol."

Lexa's hand shot to her neck. "Oh, you saw that. Well, it's funny actually. I'm not sure when or where I got my tattoo."

"Seriously? How can you not remember a thing like that?"

Lexa chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know. I've had it as long as I can remember. Kind of weird, right? It seems odd that my parents would have had it done, but if not them, then who? I must have been really young to not remember at all. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer than that. But what does my tattoo have to do with anything?"

Clarke moved closer so she was sitting right next to Lexa's bed. Even though she was sure no one was within earshot, she didn't want to risk anyone overhearing what she had to say. "Lexa, what do you know about Nightbloods?"

"Nightbloods? Really? Is this going to involve a history lesson?"

Clarke chuckled. "I hope not. So you have heard of them?"

"Sure, I've heard the stories."

"Do you believe them?"

Lexa's brows knit together as she studied Clarke. Was she serious? "Honestly, I haven't really given them much thought. It's a neat concept, but not really one I understand, so it's hard to say that I actually do believe it."

Clarke nodded. "That's fair. And in the stories you've heard about Nightbloods, did you ever hear about the Flame Keepers?"

"Weren't they like the Nightblood protectors?"

"Yeah, that was part of their responsibility. The Flame Keeper's first priority was to find their Nightblood and train them to use their unique abilities."

"Which was visions, right? The Nightbloods could see things that were going to happen? Then if they saw something bad they tried to prevent it from happening?"

Clarke smiled. "Yeah, the Nightbloods received visions. There wasn't always a Nightblood, but they would pop up throughout history when a group of people were in great need of their ability. There would be some threat, some impending doom that they might be able to stop."

"Were there any stories of Nightbloods who screwed up and couldn't help the people? Or are the stories just of all the great things they did?"

"Yeah, actually, plenty of them did fail. Take World War II, for instance. Hitler was never supposed to achieve as much power as he did. There was a Nightblood then. He and his Flame Keeper were both captured and killed before they could stop the Nazis. Luckily atomic bombs were able to do that later, but not before tens of millions of lives were lost."

Lexa arched an eyebrow. "Are you serious, Clarke? I mean, you're talking about these stories as if they actually did happen."

Clarke ignored the question and continued. "The Black Plague was another devastating failure. Killed probably 75 to 200 million people in the 14th century. The infected rats were never supposed to make it onto those merchant ships from the Orient." Clarke shook her head. "Such a loss. A number of other assassinations and terrorist attacks could have also been avoided. But there were more successes than failures."

"Clarke..." Lexa trailed off, uncertainty etched in her expression.

"Like Florence Nightingale. She's maybe my favorite Nightblood."

"Because you're a doctor?" Lexa asked.

"Exactly. She completely reformed the medical world with her insights on sanitation procedures. I can just imagine that she had visions that showed her how bad drainage, contaminated water, overcrowding and poor ventilation were causing the high death rate. Truly amazing. And even though we now live in what little remains of the United States, it was once a great country that never could have existed without Nightbloods like Squanto and George Washington."

Lexa's eyes widened and her voice lowered. "Clarke, are you saying the Nightbloods actually were real? Why are you telling me all this?"

Clarke twisted her father's watch around her wrist. "They _are_ real, but I'm trying to tell you more than that." She lifted her eyes to meet Lexa's. "I think you're the next Nightblood."


	5. Fugitives

"The next Nightblood?" Lexa laughed at the ridiculous suggestion. "Wow, you really had me going there for a minute!"

"Lexa, I'm completely serious."

"If I were a Nightblood, I would know it. I think it would be pretty hard to miss the whole having _visions_ thing."

Clarke sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she anticipated. "No Nightblood knows they are one until their Flame Keeper finds them. That's when the visions start."

Lexa arched an eyebrow. "So you're trying to tell me that _you're_ my Flame Keeper."

"Yes, I am."

"Okay, I'll just pretend for a minute that I believe you. How did you know there was another Nightblood after all this time, and how do you know it's me? And how do you even know that _you're_ a Flame Keeper?"

"Nightbloods pop up randomly, but the Flame Keepers inherit the job. My mom was the one before me, and her dad, and his mom, and on and on. It's typically passed on to the first child. Flame Keepers also receive visions, which is not often told in the stories. But there are only two instances when a Flame Keeper sees a vision, and most have only ever seen one of them. Every Flame Keeper is guaranteed the vision that shows them who their successor will be, and that lets them know it's time to start their training. My mom saw me in that vision when I was sixteen, and when my training was complete, I was officially the Flame Keeper."

"And the second vision shows you the next Nightblood?"

Clarke smiled. "Exactly."

"So you saw me?"

"Well, yes and no. The Flame Keeper sees a sign that leads them to their Nightblood. So I didn't see your face, but I saw the sign. It was an infinity symbol."

"Like my tattoo?" Lexa asked. "That's why you asked about it?"

Clarke nodded. "Yeah. That's how I knew it was you."

"Okay, but how can you be sure it's me? Surely there's another person with a tattoo like mine. Or a scar or something else."

Clarke chuckled. "No, it's you, Lexa. I can just feel it."

Lexa leaned closer. "Are you sure you're not just remembering our kiss?" She sat back again and laughed. "Because I might mistake fireworks for visions too."

"Shut up." Clarke laughed and smacked her leg. "It definitely wasn't the same thing."

"Hey, watch it. I'm an invalid here."

"Your other leg is the injured one. And it's your ankle."

"Either way, you don't want to go breaking your Nightblood."

"So you believe me?"

Lexa's brow furrowed. "I don't know. I mean, I want to be able to believe you, to trust you, but I don't know that I can believe all this is actually real."

Clarke reached out and placed a hand on top of Lexa's. The brunette hesitated but didn't pull back. "I know this is hard to believe. Hell, I'd probably question your sanity if you weren't a bit skeptical. I don't think I believed it one hundred percent until I had my vision."

Lexa looked down at their hands and wove her fingers between Clarke's. "So what happens next?"

Clarke saw the vulnerability in the other woman's eyes as she opened up. Clarke brought Lexa's hand to her lips and gave a soft kiss. "I'm here to help you. You're going to start seeing visions soon now that we've found each other, and together somehow we'll figure out what they mean."

Lexa brought her other hand to cup Clarke's cheek. "And do all Nightbloods connect with their Flame Keepers like this?"

Clarke felt a burning throughout her body and took a deep breath. "I don't think so." She sat up on her knees so she was eye level with Lexa on the bed.

Lexa whispered, "So will this complicate things?"

It took Clarke a moment to process her words now that their faces were so close. "Probably."

Lexa moved her hand from Clarke's cheek to behind her head and pressed her lips to the blonde's. Lexa moaned as they fell into a rhythm and she pulled Clarke up to the bed.

"Why do we have to be in a public infirmary?" Clarke groaned. "All I want to do is take your clothes off."

Lexa laughed and ran her fingers through the other girl's hair, pulling her in closer. "Is that typically the first part of Nightblood training?"

"Mmm, yes." Clarke chuckled. "Very essential."

Not even one minute passed before a loud voice bellowed, "What the hell is this?"

The girls split apart and looked at their intruder.

"Damn it, Anya!" Lexa growled. "Why do idiots like you keep scaring the shit out of us whenever we have a moment alone?"

"Did I really scare the shit out of you guys? Do you need a change of clothes?"

Clarke rolled her eyes and Lexa spoke again. "What are you doing here? It hasn't even been an hour."

"Damn, sorry." Anya held up her hands in surrender. "I must have forgotten my watch. I was just walking past and then I saw you two sucking each other's faces off. You could have at least warned me this was going on."

"It's relatively new." Clarke said.

"Yeah, no kidding, dipshit number two."

"Anya..." Lexa warned.

"You didn't even know each other two days ago!"

Clarke pointed to Lexa. "She started it."

Lexa's eyes narrowed. "Traitor."

"Seriously, Lex? You haven't been with anyone in years. I'm actually surprised _you_ initiated something new."

Lexa ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, well, I don't have to explain myself to you, do I?"

"Fine, whatever. Fake sister is just trying to look out for you, that's all."

Lexa sighed. "I know you are. But we're okay, honestly. This is good."

Anya shrugged. "Kay, dipshit. Whatever you say. I'll leave you alone. Just please don't do anything even more embarrassing when literally anyone could walk by and see you. People kind of look up to you, you know."

"Yes, I know."

"Okay, then I'll just leave and try to pretend I haven't been scarred for life."

Lexa laughed. "Whatever, asshole. Get out of here."

After Anya left, Clarke leaned over and whispered, "Well, that was awkward."

Lexa snorted. "Understatement of the year."

Clarke chuckled and stood up off the bed to stretch. "So, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"All right. Shoot."

"What did you do to become Roan's number one fugitive?"

Lexa laughed. "Don't tell me you really are jealous I have the top spot."

"Well, it definitely makes me curious." Clarke winked. "I mean, Roan seemed really excited to finally catch you."

"Yeah, well, that's because I knocked him out, stole his clothes, and dumped him nude and unconcscious in the middle of town."

Clarke gasped and tried to stifle a laugh. "That was _you_? I heard rumors of that story but didn't think it actually happened."

Lexa smirked. "Oh, you better believe it happened. It was part of a protest, one of many we carried out in secret and displayed in public. So in this particular instance, me and a couple others ambushed Roan, knocked him out, and put his clothes on a dummy we had made and strung it up in the middle of town for everyone to see. On the ground beneath the dummy we spray-painted 'Defy Dictators'. We wanted our people to know there were some of us out there who weren't giving up. Our stunt got a crazy huge reaction from people, so we kept doing stupid little things like that just to undermine Nia's authority. We were furious when Nia went and put people over on your land without talking to your leaders, and that incident really was the start of all this mess for you guys too. Then you elected Pike and he went and put up that fence to divide our land."

"Yeah, that was a really dick move on his part," Clarke said. "Not all of us wanted that."

Lexa nodded. "I know. So in retaliation for that we ripped out a section of fence, set it up in the middle of town, and took a ton of Nia's flyers with her face on it and skewered them on the barbed wire tops of the fence." She smirked. "That was a particular favorite of mine."

Clarke laughed and shook her head. "How in the world did you manage to not get caught?

"A mix of planning and plenty of luck," Lexa said. "I had a couple of close calls with Roan, so he knew my face and that I was the one behind a lot of the stunts. But they've never found our base down here, and this is where we keep the people who have nowhere else to go. Either they've lost their family or they're high profile Defiants, so we form a refuge for each other. I'll introduce you to Lincoln later - he's one of my best men and he's the one who first found these tunnels years ago. Then when people who were disloyal to the government early on began disappearing, he told me about this place and we started slowly moving people down here."

"I can see why these people look up to you so much," Clarke said. "They owe you a lot."

Lexa met Clarke's gaze. "It's no different from what you've done for your people. And if the stories I've heard are correct, you're the one to thank for the catchy name we all share. I honestly think that will help convince some of our people to work together. If they can't see what we have in common, they can't deny the fact that Nia calls us all by the same name. Any opposition is all the same to her."

Clarke chuckled. "It's really Nia we have to thank for that. And it sounds like your little 'Defy Dictators' stunt could have added fuel to that fire too. Man, I wish I could have seen Roan's face when he woke up and realized he was stark naked in public!"

"Unfortunately I was long gone by then to avoid getting implicated, but from what I heard, it really was a marvel to behold." Lexa arched an eyebrow. "So what exactly got you in trouble with Roan in the first place? I don't know how much is true of what I've heard. It had to have been after Nia's takeover or else he wouldn't have had jurisdiction over you Arkadians. Or I guess you could have pulled off something stupid on the Grounder side of things, but I think I would have known if some Arkadian girl was raising hell on my turf."

Clarke smiled. "Yeah, it was on the Arkadian side after the takeover, when I just couldn't handle it anymore. One day we were a free people - albeit with a corrupt new leader - and then the next day we were under this dictator who knew next to nothing about us. Then on top of that, our people acted subservient and didn't try to fight back. None of the adults, at least. They just told us to bite our tongues to make life easier. So many of our people had already been killed, so why did we want to cause more trouble? And sure, I could see where they were coming from, but for me, just laying down without a fight was worse than being dead." Clarke fiddled with her watch again. "Plus, my dad died in those riots, and I felt like if I didn't stand up for what he believed in, it was like he died for nothing."

Lexa nodded. "Remembering the people I've lost in this fight is what helps me keep going too. So what did you do?"

"I tried to arrange evacuations of our people out of the city. Way before our world started going to shit, a few friends and I liked to explore beyond our borders. We had been told plenty of times that it wasn't safe, there could be wild animals or fatal levels of radiation, and on and on. But we were stupid kids that felt invincible, so we explored anyway."

Lexa's eyes widened. "Seriously? What did you find?"

"A lot of scorched land and rubble. But we also started to find a few pockets of land that actually seemed like people could live there. There were areas with new growth, a few lakes and streams. We figured if there were plants and water we might be able to expand one day. We even saw a two-headed deer once and other strange creatures."

"That's amazing." Lexa smiled. "So you think there are viable areas out there where people can live?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, it just made sense that there could be other places like this, right? This couldn't be our only Garden of Eden. So after Pike was elected, the riots broke out. Basically Arkadian civil war that lasted for three days and killed a lot of people."

"Including your dad," Lexa said with a tone of sympathy.

"Yeah, including my dad. My mom sent me into hiding underground and whatever other kids they could round up before the fighting reached us, so we stayed there through the riots and the war between Pike and Nia. Then when she took over we resurfaced before the census so we could try to have whatever semi-normal life awaited us. We knew if we stayed underground we wouldn't be able to come back out because to Nia we wouldn't even technically exist."

"So you tried to arrange the evacuations after that, right? After you were back on the surface?"

Clarke nodded. "We planned it out while we had been underground. We knew exactly where we wanted to take people, but somehow they found out. We must have had a leak, and I still don't know how it happened."

Lexa gaped. "Seriously? You had a mole in your group and you don't know who it was?"

"Nope. Roan stormed in on the first group I got together and he had all the evidence he needed to put me away - not that there's much justice in this system anyway. But I had a map showing where the people would go and directions for how to meet up with the next group. I told him I did all the planning and the people with me had no idea so he let them go."

"But he locked you up."

"And beat me up."

Lexa gasped and placed a hand on Clarke's cheek, searching her as if to find the evidence of her abuse.

"There's nothing left of it to see," Clarke said. "I honestly wasn't sure if I was gonna make it out of there alive, but he let me go after a month and set up a perimeter of Reapers to keep us from ever trying to evacuate again."

"You're telling me Reapers are guarding your boundaries?"

Clarke's gaze locked on Lexa's. "You really didn't know that? They've been there for almost a year now."

Lexa sat back, trying to process everything she was hearing. "I wonder if they're surrounding all of us."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Clarke took a deep breath. "I stayed underground most of the time after that and one of the guys in our group, Monty, is a whiz with computers and together we decided to hijack one of Nia's government broadcasts with a message of our own."

"Yes!" Lexa said. "This is the one I've heard about."

Clarke chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure you have."

"But we don't have TVs down here," Lexa said, gesturing to the caves. "So I don't know exactly how it all went down."

"Well, Nia was delivering this message about how a few insurrectionist groups thought they were very clever in pulling little stunts and pranks, but some were even going so far as to lead people out of our lands to their deaths."

"Meaning your evacuations," Lexa said.

"Exactly. The nerve of that bitch. She knew we weren't leading people to their deaths, and we hadn't even managed to pull off one evacuation."

"Of course she knew," Lexa agreed. "Otherwise she wouldn't have to treat you as a threat. I know how Nia works. She'd rather tear her opposition down by turning people against them than outright fighting them herself. And by herself, of course, I mean her people. She would never actually dirty her own hands."

Clarke chuckled. "I believe it. And yeah, that's exactly what she was trying to do - discourage people from rising up against her. And at the end she called upon 'her' people, saying it was their civil duty to report any and all defiant behavior to the local Enforcers. So right after that was when Monty got into the system and hijacked the feed and I was the one being broadcast. I kept it short and basically just said that we would not go down without a fight, that we were in the right, and that if Nia said we were defiant, then that's exactly what we would be. Defiants."

Lexa smiled and let out a long whistle. "Damn. I'm impressed, Clarke. That was a ballsy move. We started referring to ourselves as Defiants too after that, you know. It's got a nice ring to it."

Clarke chuckled. "Yeah, it's definitely taken on a life of its own now."

"You should be proud of everything you've done," Lexa said.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Clarke said. "I mean, Nia is still in power, but I think we've helped people see they don't have to give up hope yet, and that there's still a cause worth fighting for, even if we have to stay discreet for now."

Lexa nodded. "I'm sure your father would have been proud too."

"I don't know. My mom sure wasn't happy about the evacuation attempt and my arrest."

"Seriously? That's hard to believe from what I've heard about her. She was a good leader."

Clarke nodded. "Yeah, she was. She _is._ And I don't know - maybe under different circumstances she would have been more proud of her rebellious daughter, but ever since I became the Flame Keeper, she's drilled into me how crucial it is that I keep myself safe."

Lexa's eyes widened. "Can the Flame Keepers go extinct? What would happen if you died before training your successor?"

"In theory, yeah, we can go extinct. It's never happened before, so there's definitely pressure to keep the line going. My mom is still a Flame Keeper, so if I died the mantle would fall back on her shoulders and she would receive another successor vision that would show her who to train next. That has only happened a few times throughout history, but we know it works. But if we _both_ died without a successor? I honestly don't know. Untrained Flame Keepers and Nightbloods wouldn't know how to recognize and interpret their visions - if they would even get them at all. So that's why she was always so adamant about me being careful and was less than impressed with my attempts at subterfuge."

Lexa nodded. "I can't say that I blame her."

Clarke snorted. "Way to take her side."

"Well, you're important, Clarke. We all need you even more than I had realized."

Clarke looked into Lexa's deep green eyes. "So are you. More important than me, in fact. You're irreplaceable, and judging from history, you're going to be crucial to establishing a viable society again."

Lexa smiled. "Then I guess we'll need to keep each other safe, won't we?"

Clarke took one of Lexa's hands in her own and squeezed softly. "Yeah, I'd say so."

Lexa gave a quick squeeze back, then pushed off her bed and started hopping to the other side of the infirmary.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Clarke asked. "You know I can get something for you."

Lexa ignored her and searched through a tall cabinet until she extricated a pair of crutches. She held them out and made a couple of adjustments before making her way back to the blonde.

Clarke smirked. "So does this mean you aren't going to stay here like the doctor said?"

Lexa waved off the idea. "I'll find Nyko when I need him. You and I have more important matters to attend to."

"And what exactly do you have in mind, Commander?"

Lexa pulled on the chain around Clarke's neck until the thin, silver cylindrical device was out from under her shirt. "Do you have more of these back at your base? The device that neutralized the Reapers?"

"I actually don't know," Clarke said. "My friend Raven made it for me, and I'm not even sure if she had tested it out before. I need to let her know it works."

"And get her to make more. As many as possible. They may not destroy those murderous robots, but they will buy us time." Lexa took a deep breath. "Now we need to gather the people we trust most and put our minds together to find a way to bring down Nia, Roan, and their team of Reapers."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I often start my fics thinking I'll just write a fun, fluffy little love story, but somehow there are always things like super powers, time travel, and other sci-fi elements that creep in and I can't help it! So I know they're a bit different from the norm with Clexa fanfics, but I think that's kind of fun too, and it's apparently what I enjoy writing most, so I'm grateful to all of you who read them! Y'all are the best, and I'd love to hear what you think of this one so far. Thanks!_


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